The Squarepeg Podcast

Aisling Walsh is a queer feminist freelance writer and translator and PhD candidate living in Guatemala City. She is 37 and was diagnosed autistic in December 2021 and is self-diagnosed with ADHD. She was also diagnosed with epilepsy at 23, but now suspects that her seizures might actually be dissociative seizures linked to autistic shutdown. Aisling has spent over seven years working in communications, advocacy and activism with international development organisations, including the UN, in countries including Ireland, Guatemala, Mexico and Bolivia.  Her stories, essays and features have been published in many different publications, including The Irish Times. She is currently working towards a PhD in sociology at the National University of Ireland Galway, where she is researching decolonial and feminist practices of healing justice in Guatemala. In our conversation we talk about  ➡ The impact of having Covid-19 on her sensory issues ➡ Meltdowns, burnout, and managing our energy and productivity without guilt ➡ Finding her tribe - but also navigating toxic work cultures and bullying ➡ Autism, epilepsy and dissociation I hope you’ll enjoy our conversation as much as I did. Disclaimer: In this episode Aisling and I talk about her belief that she may have been misdiagnosed with epilepsy. If you would like more information about autism and seizures, I have added some links to the show notes. The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast. Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I’m Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I’m now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn’t quite fit.   EPISODE LINKS: Aisling's website: www.aislingwrites.net Twitter: @AxliWrites Instagram: Aisling_Writes  Contently: https://aislingwalsh.contently.com  Hannah Gadsby's show, Nanette: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannah_Gadsby:_Nanette  Links to information about autism and epilepsy: https://www.autistica.org.uk/what-is-autism/signs-and-symptoms/epilepsy-and-autism https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/diagnosis/dissociative-seizures-non-epileptic-attack-disorder-nead  https://www.seizure-journal.com/article/S1059-1311(19)30466-2/fulltext#secsect0005 If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/    THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Abigail J Moore, Ben Davies, Benita Borchard-Thierbach, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Elizabeth Williams, Elise, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Lea Li, Lilli Simmons, Mandy Allen, Pete Burke, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Swanton, Sioned Wynn, Susan Millington, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vera Cady, Vicki Temple and Victoria Routledge. If you’re enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast 

Kira Young is a Native American poet, philosopher, activist and singer from Virginia, USA. She is 52 and was formally diagnosed very recently, after self diagnosing last year. She has held various different roles, both in corporations and the US Government, but her direct communication style and personal and professional integrity have often led to clashes with authority. She is now in the process of transitioning to making a living from her many passions. In our conversation we talk about: ➡ Meltdowns and masking ➡ Neurodiverse families and relationships ➡ Autism, gender and the Native American Two-Spirit gender identity  ➡ Navigating female friendships ➡ Neurodiverse recruitment, support and leadership, communication styles, and the representation of neurodiversity in the workplace Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I’m Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I’m now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn’t quite fit.   EPISODE LINKS: Kira’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/KiraYoung4 Her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirayoung4/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kira.youngTHC   If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/    THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Abigail J Moore, Ben Davies, Benita Borchard-Thierbach, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Elizabeth Williams, Elise, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Lea Li, Lilli Simmons, Mandy Allen, Pete Burke, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Swanton, Sioned Wynn, Susan Millington, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vera Cady, Vicki Temple and Victoria Routledge. If you’re enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from just £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast 

Victoria is an autistic blogger and PhD student from Manchester in the UK. Diagnosed autistic aged 25, she started an Instagram account and blog called ‘Actually Aspling’ the same year, in 2017. Victoria also has dyslexia, dyspraxia, epilepsy and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She has an MSc in Psychology and is currently a PhD student in autism research. In our conversation we talked about: ➡ Masking, mirroring and empathy ➡ Friendships and bullying ➡ Getting accommodations as a uni student ➡ Autism assessment and diagnosis, and ungendering the diagnostic criteria ➡ Whether autism is a disability or a superpower Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I’m Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I’m now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn’t quite fit.   EPISODE LINKS: Victoria's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Actually_aspling/ Her blog: https://actuallyaspling.wordpress.com/ If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/    THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Abigail J Moore, Ben Davies, Benita Borchard-Thierbach, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Elizabeth Williams, Elise, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Lea Li, Lilli Simmons, Mandy Allen, Pete Burke, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Swanton, Sioned Wynn, Susan Millington, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vera Cady, Vicki Temple and Victoria Routledge. If you’re enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from just £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast 

Marie Ralph is an autistic, disabled single mum to two neurodivergent sons. She is 48 and was diagnosed five years ago. She lives in Newquay, Cornwall in the UK, where as well as being a full time carer, she is Director of Youth Art Connect and Cornwall Tourettes and Tic Disorder Group.  Marie has spent countless hours fighting for equality, promoting anti ableism in education and organisations, and provide training and support in all things neurodivergent. She strives to change perceptions of what neurodiversity is, and to show that hidden disabilities are no less disabling than more obvious physical ones.  In our conversation we talk about: ➡ Meltdowns, eye contact and difficulties navigating friendships and romantic relationships ➡ How working in care settings with autistic young people helped her realise she was autistic ➡ Her experience of advocating for her neurodivergent sons, and for other neurodivergent people in her community ➡ Attitudes towards disability, accessibility and accommodations Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I’m Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I’m now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn’t quite fit.   EPISODE LINKS: Marie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-ralph-b82456a4/  Youth Art Connect website: https://youthartconnect.org/ Youth Art Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YouthArtConnect/  Cornwall tourette syndrome and tic disorder support group: https://www.facebook.com/Cornwall-Tourette-Syndrome-Support-Group-323546645067794/ If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/    THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Abigail J Moore, Ben Davies, Benita Borchard-Thierbach, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Elizabeth Williams, Elise, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Lea Li, Lilli Simmons, Mandy Allen, Pete Burke, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Swanton, Susan Millington, Suzanna Chen, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vera Cady, Vicki Temple and Victoria Routledge. If you’re enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from just £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast 

Suzanna Chen was born in China and raised in Vancouver, Canada from the age of 9. She was diagnosed autistic in her final year of high school. She is now 18 and an undergraduate student at University College London in the UK.  Standing at the intersection of gender, racial, and ability minorities, she is passionate about advocating for the overlooked intersectionality of social justice issues. She writes for popular student magazine The Tab, and is a staff writer at the youth-led advocacy publication Detester Magazine, a non-profit platform dedicated to amplifying Black, Indigenous, and People of Color youth activism on social and political issues.Alongside the Learn from Autistics platform, Detester are currently collecting research for a book on autistic youth/young adult advocacy for inclusion in all areas of society, with particular emphasis on the intersection of disability and race. In our conversation we talk about: ➡ Cultural attitudes to autism, disability and mental health in Chinese communities ➡ Sharing her autism diagnosis with her school, teachers and peers in Canada ➡ Coming to terms with her new identity ➡ Accessibility for autistic students ➡ The intersectionality of autism, gender, race and ability Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I’m Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I’m now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn’t quite fit.   EPISODE LINKS: Suzanna’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzannachen8/  The survey: https://forms.gle/bR8QChdjxrm19hw78  Detester Magazine’s website: https://detester.org/index.html https://www.learnfromautistics.com/ (Learn from Autistics - the other organisation involved in the book project) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSPyvdkpr0S/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link (Detester’s social media post about the survey) Suzanna’s autistic freshers article: https://thetab.com/uk/london/2021/10/05/how-im-navigating-or-trying-to-survive-freshers-as-an-autistic-ucl-student-42123  The sunflower lanyard scheme: https://hiddendisabilitiesstore.com/about-hidden-disabilities-sunflower  If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/    THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Abigail J Moore, Ben Davies, Benita Borchard-Thierbach, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Elise, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Lilli Simmons, Mandy Allen, Pete Burke, Rebecca Kemp, Susan Millington, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vera Cady, Vicki Temple and Victoria Routledge. If you’re enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from just £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast 

Gilly McKeown is an autism researcher in Brisbane, Australia. Originally from Manchester in the UK, she is in her thirties and was diagnosed autistic in 2021, when she was already more than halfway through her PhD in autism. She also has suspected ADHD, and is a single parent to her young autistic and ADHD daughter. Like many autistic people she has pursued various different courses and degrees, including doing a degree in speech therapy, and at the time we recorded this episode she was just coming to the end of the third year of her PhD, looking at the challenges faced by autistic children and young people in sport.  In our conversation we talk about  ➡ Parenting an autistic daughter as an autistic adult, and what’s changed since they’ve both been diagnosed ➡ When is a good time to share a child’s diagnosis with them ➡ The difficulties she faced as an undiagnosed autistic student on an undergraduate course ➡ Her research into access to sport for autistic children and young people ➡ The barriers to inclusivity in sport, including sensory and physical needs - and ableism. Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I’m Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I’m now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn’t quite fit.   EPISODE LINKS: Gilly’s website: https://neurodivergentresearcher.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/gemckeown1  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neurodivergent_researcher/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neurodivergentresearcher   If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/    THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Abigail J Moore, Ben Davies, Benita Borchard-Thierbach, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Elise, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Lilli Simmons, Pete Burke, Rebecca Kemp, Susan Millington, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vera Cady, Vicki Temple and Victoria Routledge.   If you’re enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from just £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast 

Lucy Pearce is an author, artist and publisher from East Cork in Ireland. She is 41, and when she was 37 she, her mother and her daughter were all diagnosed autistic within 6 months of each other.  Lucy is the author of ten non-fiction books for women, focusing on women’s healing, and founded her own publishing company in 2014 to offer support to new women authors whose books are often ignored by the mainstream publishing industry. Not knowing at the time that she was autistic, she has since realised that she and her books attract a neurodivergent audience. We covered a huge amount in our conversation, including: ➡ Her fight to get her daughter assessed ➡ How her relationship with her mother has changed since they were both diagnosed ➡ Coming to terms with her own needs, and learning to put her wellbeing first ➡ Giving language to the autistic experience ➡ Autistic women and advocating for our physical and mental health Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I’m Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I’m now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn’t quite fit.   EPISODE LINKS: Lucy's personal website: www.lucyhpearce.com      WomanCraft Publishing: http://www.womancraftpublishing.com/  Instragram: https://www.instagram.com/lucyhpearce/ https://www.instagram.com/womancraft_publishing/   If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/    THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Abigail J Moore, Ben Davies, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Elise, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Lilli Simmons, Pete Burke, Rebecca Kemp, Susan Millington, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vera Cady and Vicki Temple.   If you’re enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from just £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast 

Amanda Harrinauth is a disability empowerment coach and poet from California, USA. She was born premature, weighing just 1 pound 7ounces. She had hydrocephalus and other health problems, and her parents were told she was unlikely to survive beyond a few days, and that if she did, she would need to be institutionalised. But against all the odds she survived - and her parents made the decision to raise her at home. She is now 32. She spent her childhood in and out of hospitals, suffered seizures and is now vision impaired as a result of Retinopathy of Immaturity, a congenital birth condition. Then at 26 she was diagnosed autistic, with an intellectual disability. She began writing poetry as a way to process her thoughts and emotions following her diagnosis, and says it was through her writing that she finally learned how to make her autism work for her.  She says, “I may be vision impaired and autistic but I have big dreams. I have a choice every time I deal with a new obstacle: to let it win or to fight back. There is no cure for any of my conditions, so I'm just going to keep telling them who’s running the show. I believe we can overcome anything.”  As well as being a poet, she does public speaking, is involved with the Special Olympics and also works with other disabled people as an empowerment and life coach. She says she supports her clients to “celebrate and love who they are, so they can live their dreams and spread love for the common good of everyone”. In our conversation we talk about  ➡ Perceptions of disability ➡ How writing helped her come to terms with her autism diagnosis ➡ Her childhood difficulties ➡ Routine, boundaries and comfort items ➡ Disability, challenges and accepting help ➡ Her work with the Special Olympics and as an empowerment coach Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I’m Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I’m now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn’t quite fit.   EPISODE LINKS: Amanda's website: http://www.poetmandy.com/  Her Instragram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaharrinauth/   If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/    THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Abigail J Moore, Ben Davies, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Corinne Cariad, Elise, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Lilli Simmons, Pete Burke, Susan Millington, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vera Cady and Vicki Temple. If you’re enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from just £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast 

Sara Gibbs, a comedy writer and presenter of The Aut-Hour Podcast, shares her transformative journey as an undiagnosed autistic woman. She discusses her tough childhood, including bullying and social exclusion, which fueled her desire to write. Sara reflects on her diagnosis at 30, advocating for better understanding and representation of autism, especially in women. The conversation emphasizes the challenges of navigating toxic workplaces and the importance of embracing authenticity. Her memoir, Drama Queen, offers relatable insights into this journey.

Helen Evans, Chief Executive of the PDA Society and an advocate for those with Pathological Demand Avoidance, shares her compelling journey from late autism diagnosis to leadership. She discusses the challenges of navigating autism in a neurotypical world, including sensory struggles and workplace socializing. Helen reflects on her fierce commitment to social justice, her experiences addressing abuse in charities, and the importance of authentic leadership. She emphasizes the need for understanding and support for neurodivergent individuals, creating connections, and fostering empathy.